The fate of plastic bags in New York — handed out by the billions by grocers, clothing stores, carry-out places and many other retailers — remains up in the air in the wake of a report by a state task force.

The six-member task force was charged last year with recommending a way to reduce their impact. But the panel's report, made public Friday, did not make any one recommendation.

Instead, the members chose to lay out eight mutually exclusive options.

Those options include a ban on “single-use” plastic bags, a per-bag fee charged to consumers who accept them, and a requirement that bag manufacturers fund a more aggressive recycling program.

The aim of the fee or ban measures would be to encourage consumers to bring their own reusable bags with them when they shop, or buy them at the store.

It will be left to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature to decide whether action should be taken.

Persuasion may be needed. State lawmakers have introduced numerous bills in recent years calling for such things as an outright ban, enhanced recycling programs, a 5-cent-per-bag fee and a 3-cent rebate for each reusable bag a consumer brings to the store.

None have passed. However, the state Senate and Assembly did approve a measure last year that blocked New York City from imposing a 5 cent-per-bag fee there.

Salvatore Fantauzzo, founder and chief executive of the popular pizzeria chain that bears his name, said his Webster-based company is working to eliminate the use of plastic bags as well as plastic foam containers.

"Unintended consequences come from banning anything. And, we are never in favor of adding fees or taxes to solve issues like these," said Jason Wadsworth, the company's manager of sustainability.

"We know from experience that it’s possible to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags by educating and reminding customers about reusable bags and to bring plastic bags back to our store for recycling. This coupled with greater use of plastic bags made from recycled plastic will have a much greater impact in the long run," he said.

The company has a very active program to collect and recycle plastic bags. It also sells re-usable grocery bags.

"The consequence of banning plastic bags is the increased use of paper bags, which is far more impactful on the environment," Wadsworth said, adding paper bags require more energy than plastic to produce, transport and recycle.

As the task force report notes, a dozen New York villages, towns and counties have enacted their own bans or fees without interference by the legislature.

All are in Long Island, Westchester County or Ulster County. The largest municipality to act is Suffolk County, whose 5-cent-per-bag fee became effective Jan. 1.

The state task force was made up of the state's environmental commissioner, a state senator and an Assemblyman, and representatives from the New York State Association of Counties, the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Food Industry Alliance.

New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags a year, according to the task force. Their report documents damage done by the bags, discusses laws in place in other states and nations, and presents pros and cons of each option.

For instance, the task force reported that per-bag fees do reduce the use of plastic bags, but could impose a financial hardship on lower-income people. An outright ban would reduce usage, too, but would result in consumer complaints and force retailers to begin stocking reusable bags.

The eight options they laid out:

Strengthening the current bag recycling law, which requires larger retailers to accept and recycle used plastic bags.

Making bag manufacturers responsible for a program to recycle single-use bags.

Instituting an unspecified fee on each single-use bag accepted by the consumer.

Instituting a unspecified flat fee on a consumer that accepts plastic bags, regardless of the number of bags taken.

Instituting a fee on both plastic and paper bags.

Banning single-use plastic bags.

Banning plastic bags and instituting a fee on paper or other alternative bags.